


One Good Deed

by silentflux



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-20
Updated: 2010-02-20
Packaged: 2017-10-16 01:30:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/167002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentflux/pseuds/silentflux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Topher couldn't let things stand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Good Deed

_**FIC: One Good Deed, FRC, Topher**_  
 **Title:** One Good Deed  
 **Author:** [](http://silentflux.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**silentflux**](http://silentflux.dreamwidth.org/) /Andrea  
 **Fandom:** Dollhouse  
 **Rating:** FRC  
 **Characters:** mainly Topher, mentions of others and canon relationships  
 **Spoilers:** Up to 2x4 "Belonging"  
 **A/N:** This episode just begged for this. And it is completely AU from the rest of the series, lol. But I started it before Joss' story progression, so I completed it without regard to the final bits of the series and sans any of those revelations. Just a very short, self-indulgent fic that I'd found on my gdocs tonight and decided to polish.

 **Summary:** Topher couldn't let things stand.

~*~

She watched him quietly from her table across the street, his nervous ticks and habits familiar and almost soothing. She scoffed and shook her head. Topher and soothing should never be in the same thought. It had been a couple of years since she'd been near him, but she couldn't believe that would ever change. She saw his back straighten, and settled in for the show. It must be important for him to be all the way out here.

Topher finally saw a flash of curly blond hair, and he bit his lip. Flipping up his newspaper, he watched her over the headlines, careful that she hadn't seen him. It had taken him a couple of days to arrange this accidental meeting - bribery, hacking, and not a little prodding of Langston. Not to mention the slightly unauthorized use of one of the new actives.

But there she was - Priya. Healthy and smiling and oblivious to his presence, which he had no doubt would put a damper on her mood. He had never understood what impact his work would truly have - not until he met Priya. Not until he found that there were some things that were beyond his ability to bear, secrets that would forever press at him, pain that he would willingly carry for another. He'd never thought himself to be capable of that - always imagined those who walked in such emotion and conscience - sacrifice - were fooling themselves.

Langston had it right - a moral crisis. He had found the line that he refused to cross, and they'd all paid for it. The color of blood still splashed across his dreams and woke him to frightening darkness. Thankfully, for Priya, he could assuage the damage, and he had.

But for the past few months after she had left the Dollhouse, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that there should be more. He'd known he shouldn't, but once the idea occurred to him, he couldn't shake it.

So here he was, watching Priya order tea and a sandwich at a local Starbucks knockoff, waiting. It wasn't a long wait, though. He almost couldn't contain his nervous excitement when he saw a familiar figure walk through the door.

The meeting was almost sickeningly perfect in it's awkwardness and the long gazes. But Priya and Anthony were definitely on the right track - the track they should be on despite whatever else might happen in the future. Topher watched the magic of the meeting and smiled as the two of them almost seemed in their own world, rediscovering each other for the first time.

Sighing softly, he leaned back and finished his coffee, shooting furtive glances at the couple before folding up his paper and stuffing it into his bag. It was done and hopefully enough - maybe this small gesture would help.

Looking down at his receipt the waitress had just brought him, he started.

'Good job' was written in black marker. Glancing around, slightly frightened, he caught familiar brown eyes. He offered a smile and it was returned before she disappeared in the crowd. Sighing softly to himself, he got up and headed back to the house with a lighter heart.


End file.
